The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1887-03-02

of crime is far beyond the increase
of population.
The average increase of popula-
ton in Chicago is IA per cent. in
three years; but that class OF
crime that marks excessive drink
ing has increased during these
three years of High License "a per
cent, that is, 90 per cent. beyond
the increase of population. DIR.
Crosby in his open letter to me in
the New York Times of Friday last,
says that if / would make allow
ance for increase of population, my
figures would tell another tale. /
do make allowance for increase of
population, and the figures show a
most enormous, startling growth of
crime beyond that of the popula-
ton. How does this showing COM
port with the loose talk about the
Crosby bill cutting down the drink
evil "one-half in this city" What
nonsense. This Crosby bill does
not average nearly so high a
license as that of Chicago,
of Lincoln, Neb., of Omaha,
of Kansas City. No such benefi.
cial results followed in any o! those
cities. The results were just the
opposite. In every one of those
cities the saloon evils were aug
mented.
"Oh," cries one Of the great dailies,
CDR. Funk should not take Chicago
under Mayor Carter Harrison as an
example of High License" How
suddenly these mon changed their
tune. Up to tho publication of
these figures we were necessarily
told, "look at Chicago" See how
beautifully the plan works there"
The law is enforced in Chicago.
Each saloon pays its $500, and yet
there is little or no reduction in
the number of saloons. Instead of
$500 each able to pay $50, Chicago
has now 300 saloons, each able to
pay $500. The aggregate capacity
for mischief of these 300 saloons
is far greater than the aggregate
capacity of the cheaper $500 saloons.
Nor is it true that High License
drives out the low dives. 1t drives
out the saloons with little capitol:
but these are not the meaner and
more dangerous class of saloons. 1t
drives the whole business into the
clutches of the brewery and distil-
lery monopoly. High License
drives out the low divesl What
more terrible indictment was ever
uttered than that OF the Grand
Jury of Cook County last year:
olives of the lowest order defy the
City ordinance by keeping open
from dawn till midnight, wherein
congregate disreputable women,
thieves and criminals well known
to the police. What is known as
the 'dago shop nuisance-the toll
Grafton of dens of iniquity on
prominent thoroughfares under
the guise of oyster and ice cream
saloons, but which are licensed to
do a dram-shop business by the
city ofChicago-is becoming entire
ly too prominent. To such places
may be traced the ultimate
ruin of thousands of young
girls and unsuspscting fe-
males. Never has the saloon
business in Chicago been so cor
rupting and dominating since the
reign Of High License. The mon
who monopolize the huge traffic
WELD it as one man, with the most
deadly results. They have be
come omnipotent in Chicago poll.
tics. These are the simple naked
facts, not theories. And yet the
High License advocates promised
as grand a reform in Chicago as DR..
Crosby and DR.. Graham now
promise to New York. An ounce
of fact is worth a ton of theory.
These gentlemen are altogether too
visionary. When they let slip the
anchor of facts they have bound
less sea to sail around in. But
facts are mighty stubborn things.
One of the great dailies says: CDR.
IN L 4 L